And Then There Were Two
by Ktoddhim
Summary: Sequel to And Then There Was Harry: Severus tells the story of their years together after Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1: I remember

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Harry Potter or his universe. Some select characters may belong to me, but the rest belongs to the illustrious J K Rowling and her various publishers, as well as Warner Bros. Productions. 

Idea disclaimer: I: Ktoddhim have adopted this story from Menecarkawan. So saying this awesome story was not my idea. I hope I do it justice.

Author's Note: Welcome back to Harry and Sev's world! This story is the sequel to 'And Then There Was Harry'. It will not make much sense if you have not read the first story, so I suggest that you do so. This story is SLASH, or containing homosexuality, for those who don't know. No like? No read. Simple, isn't it? All flames will be used to heat my hotplate to boil water for tea. This story is AU and there will be no HBP spoilers contained herein, so worry not on that. It is sort of tragic and extremely angsty, so be forewarned before reading.

And Then There Were Two 

**Chapter One**

**I Remember**

ONE 

Severus Snape sat in his cushy armchair, his legs crossed right over left, his right foot bobbing rhythmically. He absently twirled his wedding band, a habit he'd picked up after his beloved had passed nearly thirty years earlier. That he should be cursed to this long life when his love had died so young seemed eternally unfair, but he'd also been gifted with a large, close nit family he'd never dared to dream of. He watched silently as three of his grandchildren played with each other on the hearth rug, quietly amused as they fought over who would have control over each toy in the game. His eldest daughter, the children's mother, was by the Christmas tree, arranging the gifts to her liking.

"That look okay, Papa?" she asked, standing back to observe her work with a critical eye.

"It looks fine, Serena," Severus assured her, smiling sadly as he thought of his dearly departed husband. Harry's favorite holiday had been Christmas, once he'd gotten to have a proper one with his family. "I don't know why you bother with all of that," Severus went on, doing his best to ignore his morose thoughts. "They're all going to be scattered all over the house in the morning."

Serena huffed indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll have you know that presentation is everything." She mock glared at Severus with the green eyes she'd inherited from her father.

"Children," Severus called, gaining the attention of the three on the floor.

"Yeah, Grampy?" the oldest asked. Her cute little six-year-old voice filled with curiosity.

"What's more important?" Severus asked seriously. "How the presents look, or what's inside of them?"

"Inside!" the three children enthused, bouncing slightly in their excitement.

Severus spread his arms a bit, smirking at his daughter. "I rest my case."

Serena rolled her eyes, another thing she'd picked up from her father. "You're impossible, you know that, right."

"Of course I do," Severus said, twirling his ring again absently, hardly aware that he was doing it.

"Grampy?" his granddaughter said, suddenly standing before him. He hadn't noticed her get up.

"Yes, Rowan?" Severus replied.

"Could you… could you tell us about… Grandpa?" Rowan asked shyly.

Severus stared at her for a bit, considering her request. He never liked to speak of Harry if he could help it; it brought back too much pain. Looking around the room, he discovered that more of his grandchildren had filtered in while he'd been lost in thought, and all of them were gazing at him expectantly. Serena was still by the tree, but she was now watching him, ready to interfere should the need arise. Severus gave her a small smile to let her know it was all right. It was about time his grandchildren learned about their other grandfather.

"What would you like to know?" he asked gently. Immediately, as though a binding spell had been released, he had a crowd of children sitting around him, ranging in age from fifteen to three, all of them looking to him for a story they'd been waiting to hear their entire lives.

"How did you meet him?" the fifteen-year-old, Grâdivus, asked curiously, tilting his head to the side just as Harry used to do.

"He was my student at Hogwarts," Severus replied. "We barely tolerated each other then."

"So how'd you end up married if you didn't like him?" another child, Âríadna, asked, her auburn hair cascading around her shoulders, reminiscent of her great-grandmother.

"Well, Âríadna, when Harry was fifteen, he became very ill," Severus explained. "He had a connection to Voldemort through his scar, and he could feel the curses that Voldemort cast." He glossed over the events of Harry's last three years as his student, only telling enough for his family to understand how he and Harry came to be together. Those three years had been inexorably painful, and Severus didn't want to have to relive them if he could help it.

"What happened after you left?" Âríadna asked once he'd grown silent again. Behind her, Severus saw Hermione and Draco enter, seating themselves discreetly on the divan to listen as well. They'd been there for all of it, but they'd never heard the story from Severus' point of view. Draco placed his hand on Hermione's leg, giving Severus an encouraging smile.

"Ah, now that's when things got interesting," Severus said. He began his story gently, but left out the racier bits that his mind supplied without his consent.

TWO 

Harry was bouncing Serena on his knee as he watched his irate lover pace the lounge of their hotel suite. Serena was babbling happily, chewing the new toy Harry had purchased for her and watching Severus as well.

"They can't deny selling to us like that!" Severus was raging, running his hand through his hair irritably. "It's discrimination!"

"Calm down, love," Harry soothed, pulling the toy from Serena's mouth again. "You're supposed to _play_ with it, sweets, not eat it," he told her.

"Swee!" Serena repeated happily, promptly putting the toy back into her mouth.

"I told you before we started that Muggles had issues with homosexuality," Harry went on, calmly pulling the toy back out of his daughter's mouth. "We just have to find an agent who's not biased, that's all."

"And just how do you propose we go about that?" Severus snarled, throwing himself unceremoniously into a chair. "They're _all_ biased, Harry! How many have we been to so far?"

Harry rolled his eyes, causing Serena to giggle around her toy, which had promptly found it's way back to her mouth. "We've been to two, Sev'rus," he said with exasperation. "That hardly qualifies as _all_ of them. We've barely been in London for a month. Give it time."

Severus sighed deeply, passing his hand over his face. "Maybe we didn't think this through enough," he muttered.

"And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Harry asked, his tone suddenly cold, his too green eyes boring into Severus relentlessly. Serena seemed to sense the drop in temperature because she whimpered a bit, staring at her father. He absently patted her hair to soothe her, waiting for Severus to reply.

Severus held his hands up in supplication, hoping to head off an argument before things got out of hand. "I just meant that perhaps London wasn't the best of choices for us," he explained. "Perhaps we'd be better somewhere smaller."

"Hm," Harry said, looking doubtful as he removed the toy from Serena's mouth again. "Small would be even more difficult, Sev'rus," he said. "We're more likely to find an open minded agent in the city."

Severus watched Serena as she calmly put the toy back in her mouth, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She was enjoying playing with her father. She certainly never looked at Severus that way. "Bloody Merlin's Beard, just take the damnable thing away from her already!" he snapped, trying to hold his temper in check but failing miserably.

"Pardon me?" Harry said with a low voice, raising an eyebrow at Severus.

"If you keep coddling her that way, she's going to be as fat and lazy as your good-for-nothing cousin!" Severus groused.

Harry said nothing, merely removing the toy from the infant's mouth again.

"Oh, for the love of-" Severus muttered, rising from his seat, crossing the room, snatching the toy from the little girl's hands and shoving the offending item into a drawer by the window. Serena's eyes welled up with tears and she began crying, reaching for her toy.

Harry rose, holding his child close to his chest, soothing her tears and glaring at Severus angrily. He stalked to the drawer, pulled out the toy and gave it back to his daughter, never taking his eyes off of Severus. "You can really be a heartless bastard sometimes," he said quietly. With that, he stalked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

"Damn it all," Severus muttered, lowering himself delicately onto the divan. He was having jealousy issues over a one-year-old. However often Harry said she was _their_ daughter, she never responded to Severus the way she did to Harry and Severus hated that. He'd just been so angry when he saw her playing with Harry that he hadn't considered the consequences of his cruelty. He knew he'd have to apologize, but Harry had warded the door against him when it had slammed.

Harry knew perfectly well that Severus could break through the wards with little effort, but he also knew that Severus would grasp the gesture behind the wards. Harry didn't want to see him.

"Fucking hell," he murmured, running a hand over his face again. "Why do I have to be so stupid sometimes?"

It was well past dinnertime when Harry immerged from the bedroom, carrying a sleeping Serena in his arms. He went to the nursery, placed her in her crib and returned to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He didn't ward it this time. Severus took that to mean that Harry wouldn't mind so much if he went in.

Severus sat for the better part of an hour, staring into space, before he finally decided to apologize to Harry for being a bastard. When he entered the room, Harry was laying on his side on the large bed, facing the wall, apparently asleep. He was wearing his sleep pants and no shirt, his hands curled up under his head and his knees drawn up in the familiar position of self-comfort. Severus felt terrible as he sat on the edge of the bed, watching Harry sleep.

After a few moments, he crawled across to Harry and placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder. "Harry?" he said softly, looking at his lover's face. Harry's nose and cheeks were flushed, letting Severus know that he'd been crying recently. Severus nuzzled his nose against Harry's jaw. Harry turned his head very minutely in Severus' direction.

"I'm sorry," Severus said, kissing the shoulder again.

"You shouldn't have done that," Harry murmured, his voice still thick from his tears.

Severus sighed, pressing kisses up and down Harry's arm. "I know," he agreed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Harry turned more fully toward him, his eyes red rimmed and puffy. "I grew up in a house where no one loved me. I felt worthless, like less than dirt. I don't want Serena to feel that way in her home. I can't help what people out there might say to her," he waved vaguely toward the window, "but in my home, she'll feel loved. I love you, Sev'rus, so very much, but if you can't treat my daughter with the love she deserves…" He let the thought hang in the air, turning back to the wall.

Severus' heart clenched fearfully in his chest, understanding what Harry was saying. He hadn't missed it when Harry had said 'my daughter' instead of 'our daughter' as he usually did. "I know," he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. The mere thought of losing Harry was enough to reduce him to tears, and Severus rested his forehead against Harry's arm attempting to stem the flow. After he felt some control return, he said, "I do love her, Harry. It's just that… she knows you're her father and I'm not. She knows that, in the end, _you_ are her family, and it makes me so… jealous."

Harry's hand came up and began petting Severus' hair gently. "Jealous?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

"Of what?"

"Of you; of what you have with her. I can love her and care for her and give her everything that I have, but I'll always know that she's not mine. I'll always know that, in spite of everything, she is _your_ daughter, and it hurts."

Harry turned over fully so that he was facing Severus, and pulled the man into an embrace. "I hadn't thought of it that way," he murmured, placing kisses along Severus' neck. "I'm sorry."

Severus smiled at his young lover, brushing the messy fringe away from his forehead to reveal the scar beneath. "Then we are, once again, even," he replied, pressing a kiss to the scar. Harry lifted his chin and engaged Severus in a kiss that swiftly became heated. Severus rolled them so that he was on top, kissing Harry's face and neck lovingly, Harry's fingers finding the buttons on his shirt.

"Ah, finally something without so many buttons," he muttered, quickly doing away with the shirt. "I think I like you in Muggle clothes."

"Don't get used to it, Harry," Severus said, moving his kisses to Harry's chest, lavishing attention on the dusky nipples, loving the soft mewling sounds issuing forth from his lover's wicked lips. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of Harry's sleep pants, pulling them down and off and throwing them away haphazardly. "No underwear," he observed, smirking. "Still naughty, I see."

"Only for you, love," Harry replied, doing away with Severus' trousers efficiently. Severus rolled fully on top of his lover, both of them groaning when their erections brushed together.

Severus slowly began thrusting against Harry, raining kisses down on the pale throat, loving their closeness. He knew something was wrong when Harry tensed beneath him.

"Sev'rus," Harry cried, pushing up with his hands. "Stop! Please stop!"

Severus pushed up, looking down at Harry worriedly. "What's wrong?" he asked with confusion.

"Please get off me," Harry begged, pushing again. "Please."

Severus rolled to the side, but before he could talk to Harry and discover the problem, Harry had bolted out of bed and locked himself in the bathroom. With a sigh, Severus got up from the bed, padding over to the bathroom door, prepared to knock. He could hear Harry crying gently on the other side of the door.

Severus leaned his forehead against the cool wood, resting the flat of his palm on the door, unable to make himself knock. After several moments, he spoke. "Harry?"

"Please just leave me alone," Harry wailed miserably on the other side.

His eyes drifting closed; Severus forced the pain to the back of his mind. After another few minutes of listening to Harry cry, Severus left the bedroom, wondering why everything he did lately seemed to be wrong. He pulled a phial of mild sleep draught from his bag, conjured a pillow and some blankets and made his bed on the divan. He downed the potion before the tears could come and drifted off to a fitful sleep. His last thought before the darkness came was _What are you hiding from me, Harry?_

THREE 

Severus was staring into space silently, his mind on that long ago night, when he felt Serena's hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Papa?" she asked, kissing the top of his still black head.

Severus squeezed her hand gently before patting it. "Just lost in memories," he replied, looking at the wide-eyed children before him. With a sigh, he continued. "It was a long and trying night for all of us. Serena had nightmares because of my carelessness and I had nightmares because I'd been fighting with Harry and I didn't know how to deal with it. I believe that Harry, though he never said so, never slept at all that night." As he spoke, the memories washed over him again, though most of them never passed his lips.

FOUR 

Severus woke the next morning to the distinct feeling of being watched. Opening his eyes slowly, he found Harry sitting in the armchair watching him with the most miserable expression on his face. As soon as Severus was in a seated position, he had his arms full of sobbing Harry.

"I'm so sorry!" Harry wailed, holding onto Severus as though his life depended on it. "I never meant for you to sleep out here! I wasn't angry with you and it wasn't anything you did, I just—"

"Harry, calm down," Severus cooed, petting Harry's messy head with concern. "It's all right, love, I'm not angry. I'm just very worried."

Harry continued to cry, clutching Severus to him desperately. "I… I should have told you. I know I should have," he muttered, but he didn't elaborate.

"Told me what?" Severus pressed gently, wondering what else his Harry had gone through that he didn't know about.

Slowly, haltingly, Harry revealed the story of his first rape at the hands of Jason McCullen. As he spoke, Severus felt himself becoming more and more enraged, wishing Harry had told him when it had happened, wishing that he could kill Jason all over again, but most of all, wishing that it had never happened to start with. After Harry finished, Severus remained silent, petting Harry's hair comfortingly.

"Sev'rus?" Harry asked after a while.

"Shh, now," Severus cooed. "I'm not angry with you. I just wish you'd have told me when it happened."

"I know," Harry replied, placing his head on Severus' chest. "I just felt so ashamed that I… that…"

"That the spell made you enjoy it?" Severus finished for him, and Harry nodded his conformation into Severus' chest. "That wasn't your fault, Harry."

After another several minutes of silence, Harry asked, "What are you thinking?"

"That if that bastard wasn't already dead, I'd kill him," Severus replied truthfully. He was also wishing that he'd had more time to play when he'd killed Jason. That monster deserved to suffer, but it was too late for all of that now. He looked down when Harry shifted against him.

"We can do… other things," Harry suggested, placing kisses to Severus' throat. It was only then that Severus realized he'd never put anything on the night before.

"Harry—"Severus started, only to be cut off when Harry kissed his lips.

"Please, Sev'rus?" Harry said when he'd pulled back. He bent forward and began kissing Severus' collarbone. "Please? I want to feel your hands on me."

Severus swallowed thickly, banishing the bedclothes with a wave of his hand. "Turn around, Harry," he whispered to his lover. Harry complied, sitting in the V of Severus' legs with his back pressed against Severus' chest. Severus stroked his hands along Harry's chest and stomach, sliding them up under the fabric of his green jumper. "Where is Serena?" he whispered in Harry's ear.

"She's… with Hermione," Harry managed, arching his body up into Severus' hands.

"Hm," Severus responded. "Making naughty plans, Mr. Potter?"

"I didn't… know how long… we'd be talking," Harry gasped.

"May I remove your clothing?" Severus asked, trailing his hands over Harry's hips.

Harry nodded his consent, his hand reaching behind to feel Severus' bare skin. Severus murmured an incantation and Harry's clothes vanished, leaving them pressed together with nothing separating them. They both gasped at the sensation, Severus' rigid cock pressing into the small of Harry's back. Severus took hold of Harry's erection, stroking it slowly and firmly, enjoying the small whimpering sounds his lover was making. Harry's hips began thrusting into Severus' hand, creating a lovely friction that had Severus hissing his pleasure through his teeth.

"Sev'rus," Harry whimpered, reaching back to caress Severus' hardened flesh. "Yes."

Severus tightened his hold around Harry's shaft; bending forward to place kisses on Harry's neck and shoulders. "You feel so good, Harry," Severus murmured, licking the shell of Harry's ear.

"Don't stop," Harry replied, bucking up into Severus' hand. It didn't take long for Harry to come, his whole body trembling while Severus held him through it. Once he'd calmed, he spun around in Severus' lap. Before Severus could stop him, Harry had swallowed Severus' cock whole, burying his nose in Severus' pubic hair.

Severus gave a surprised shout, bucking up into Harry's warm heat before he could stop himself. He tangled his hands in Harry's messy locks, concentrating on the wicked tongue that was laving his cock enthusiastically. His head fell back as his eyes rolled up, his balls growing tight against his body. "Harry," he panted. "I'm… getting… close."

Harry moaned deep in his throat, the vibrations shooting up Severus' cock and into his spine.

"Harry!" Severus cried as the coil in his stomach sprung loose, his cock exploding in Harry's mouth. "Oh, gods, yes! Harry!" Harry swallowed everything he gave, continuing to suck until Severus had grown soft again. Harry released him with a soft 'pop' and kissed his way up Severus' body until their lips met again. Severus could taste himself on Harry's tongue; it was wonderful.

"Thank you," Harry said softly, kissing all over Severus' face.

"Thank you, my love," Severus replied, holding Harry tightly. After a while, he said, "We have to see that new realtor today."

"I know," Harry replied, slowly and reluctantly pulling himself from Severus' embrace. "We should dress."

FIVE 

Two hours later, they were on the outskirts of London looking at a quaint and beautiful little house, the fifth one they'd looked at that day.

"It's perfect," Harry muttered, leaning his head on Severus' shoulder.

"Let's not jump to conclusions until we've seen the inside," Severus replied.

Their unbiased, lesbian realtor smiled at them, producing a key from inside her briefcase. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you around." She unlocked the front door, letting Severus and Harry go in before her.

The foyer was open and airy, lending a homey feel to the place even without furniture. There was a staircase against the left wall leading to the first floor, on the right wall was a door leading into the sitting room. Beyond that was another door that led to the downstairs bath. On the left, before the staircase was a door leading to the kitchen/dining area.

The sitting room was spacious, surrounded by windows with a large fireplace adorning the interior wall. A door to the right of the fireplace led to a small office area. The kitchen was equipped with a modern stove and refrigerator, both of which had Severus staring curiously.

Harry giggled and said in his ear, "I'll explain them to you later." There was a large open space for a dining table and an island counter perfect for bar stools. This room had long floor-to-ceiling windows, showing off a spacious side yard with a swing set.

"The people who lived here before had four children," the realtor explained, seeing Harry's eyes on the swings.

"Serena will love those," Severus commented.

Harry looked up at him with such a look of happiness that Severus thought he might drown. The realtor crossed the room and opened a door. "The basement is down there, if you'd like to see it."

Severus nodded and the two lovers followed her down the stairs. The basement was a large open area with no walls.

"This will make a lovely lab, Sev'rus," Harry said, looking around carefully.

Severus was already picturing where his shelves and supplies would go.

"Lab?" the realtor asked curiously.

"Oh," Harry said, startled. "Sev'rus is a chemist, aren't you, love?"

"Er, yes," Severus replied. "A chemist. I do like my experiments."

The realtor nodded. "There's plenty of room here for something like that." She gave them a warm smile. She led them up to the first floor, where they could see another staircase.

"How many floors are there?" Harry asked, eyeing this critically.

"Four," the realtor replied. "Ground floor, two upstairs floors, and an attic. Five, if you count the basement."

Harry nodded. The first floor had three bedrooms, all very large and all with walk-in wardrobes. The second floor was much like the first, except it had four bedrooms instead of three. The attic was a large open space with sloping ceilings that could be converted into just about anything. The house hadn't looked quite so large on the outside and Severus found himself wondering if the previous owners had been wizards.

Once they were outside again, the realtor gave Harry and Severus some time alone to discuss things. "I love it," Harry announced. "It's perfect. It gives us room to grow, and Serena will enjoy the play apparatuses in the yard."

"It is lovely," Severus murmured, looking at the small looking house with a critical eye. "I think the previous owners were magical, though. That might present problems in the future."

"What problems?" Harry asked.

"What if they come back?" Severus said. "Or what if someone comes looking for them and finds the famous Harry Potter instead. Our lives would turn difficult quickly."

"We can find ways around that," Harry responded. "I like this house, Sev'rus. I'm not going to let fear of the future keep me from getting it. The only thing that can stop me buying this house is if you don't like it."

Severus gave Harry a soft smile. "I think it's lovely. That basement has much promise."

Harry chuckled lightly. "So we're getting it, then?"

Severus kissed Harry softly on the lips. "Yes, we're getting it."

SIX 

"Is it this house, Grampy?" Rowan asked, her eyes wide.

Severus nodded. "It is indeed," he replied. "Harry and I shared many wonderful moments in this house. In fact, I told Harry about your uncle Dennis right over there." He pointed to a chair next to the fireplace.

"You'll stay here forever, won't you, Grampy?" Âríadna asked innocently.

Severus nodded. "As long as I can. Harry wouldn't have wanted me to sell this place. He loved it here."

"All right, children," Hermione said from her spot on the divan. "Bedtime."

There were complaints all around.

"The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you may open your presents," Draco agreed.

"Presents!" the little ones cried, jumping to their feet.

"What about the rest of the story?" Grâdivus asked.

"I shall continue in the morning, after we've opened our gifts," Severus replied, also getting to his feet. He gave all of the children hugs and kisses before sending them to bed.

"You don't have to relive all of this, Papa," Serena murmured once Draco and Hermione had gone upstairs. "I know it's painful for you."

Severus sighed, pulling his daughter into an embrace. "It's good for me to finally talk about him. The children deserve to know how wonderful their grandpa was."

Serena nodded, sniffling a little.

"Serena, love?" her husband, Marcus, said from the doorway.

"I'm coming, Marc," she replied, giving Severus a kiss on his cheek. "Sleep well, Papa."

"You too, sweets," Severus said without thinking.

Serena stared at him for a moment. "You've never called me that before."

Severus looked away from her so she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes. "I guess I just have Harry on the brain."

She gave him a sad smile. "Goodnight, Papa."

"Goodnight, Serena." Severus sat for a long time, staring into the fire and thinking of his Harry before finally making his way to bed.


	2. Chapter 2: To Make Life Better

**Chapter Two**

**To Make Life Better**

ONE 

Severus was somewhat gratified to find several women in his kitchen the next morning preparing breakfast. They were chattering happily with each other, making a meal fit to feed an army.

"Surely there aren't _that_ many people staying here for Christmas?" he said with a smile, seating himself at the round table near the pantry.

"Papa, you're so silly," Serena said, turning to give him a smile.

"I resent that," Severus replied, but Serena just chuckled and went back to the hollandaise sauce she was stirring.

"We've got all of the children," Hermione supplied diplomatically, "and the rest of _your_ children will be here in a little while, so there will be quite a few of us before lunch time."

"Do you ladies need any help?" Severus asked more because he knew they'd say no than from an actual desire to lend a hand.

"You get out of here and make sure the children don't start opening presents before we're ready," his youngest daughter, Amelia, replied. She physically pushed him into the sitting room before returning to the kitchen. Chuckling, Severus moved across the room to sit in his chair, his eyes watching the fairy lights on the Christmas tree. He could still picture clearly the way Harry's eyes used to seem to sparkle when he watched the fairy lights at Christmastime. He knew he'd never view Christmas the same way again, but perhaps, with a little help from his family, he'd be able to enjoy the holiday once more.

"Grampy!" Rowan cried, throwing herself into Severus' lap and effectively cutting off his musings.

"Umph!" Severus muttered, more for effect than anything else. "Rowan, you're getting so big!"

Rowan giggled and made herself comfortable on Severus' lap. "Are you going to finish the story, Grampy?" she asked, looking up at him and blinking innocently.

"After we've eaten breakfast and opened all of the presents," Severus replied, attempting to look stern, but failing miserably. He simply couldn't be the man he used to be when his grandchildren were around him.

"May I open mine now?" Rowan asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on Severus' thigh.

"After breakfast, Rowan," Severus said. "You know the rules."

"Yes, sir," Rowan muttered, looking at the presents under the tree longingly. Turning back to Severus, she asked, "Where's Mummy?"

"She's in the kitchen with the other hens, making breakfast," Severus said with a smile.

Rowan giggled.

"You're not allowed to tell them that I called them that."

Rowan giggled harder.

"You have to promise."

"I promise," Rowan replied, hiding her giggles behind a hand. Severus knew she'd spill it unintentionally anyway. Slowly, other grandchildren trickled in, all of them looking longingly toward the tree before seating themselves somewhere in the room. After a few minutes, Severus heard Hermione yelling at the bottom of the stairs.

"Breakfast!" she called. "Everybody up! Breakfast!"

Upstairs, there was a veritable stampede as children began running for the dining room, intent on eating quickly so that they could open their gifts. The children who had been in the room with him were gone so fast one would think they'd just vanished. Severus went to the dining room at a more sedate pace, smiling indulgently as children rocketed past him.

"Eggs, Papa?" Amelia asked, passing him the plate.

"Yes, please," Severus replied. He took a bit of everything, enjoying the wonderful cooking the ladies had put together. About half way through the meal, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Serena enthused, disappearing from the room before anyone else could volunteer. "Dennis!" she cried from the foyer. "Oh, you're just in time for breakfast!"

Severus smiled a bit. Dennis was Harry and his second child, and though he wasn't as family oriented as the rest of them, he was the only boy and therefore practically revered.

"I would have gotten here yesterday," Dennis was saying, "but my boss insisted that I work. What an old crank, making me work on Christmas Eve. I swear, the Muggles just get worse every year."

Severus frowned. Even without being taught, Dennis had always looked down on Muggles. Severus simply didn't understand where it came from. "You will watch your tone around the grandchildren, Dennis," Severus said sternly when his two eldest entered the room.

"Sorry, Papa," Dennis muttered, not looking sorry in the slightest.

Severus waved him off. "The girls have cooked up a veritable feast for us this morning," he said instead, watching Dennis seat himself next to Hermione. "I hope you're hungry."

"Oh, do be quiet, Severus," Hermione said playfully. "You know you're just jealous because we wouldn't let you help."

"I stand corrected," Severus allowed with a smile. With his family around him, chattering happily and devouring the food the women had prepared, Severus could almost forget that it was the day on which Harry seemed the farthest away. All too soon, breakfast was over and the children were happily seating themselves around the Christmas tree awaiting their presents. Severus' twin daughters arrived during this time, adding their presents to the pile. With all five of his children around him, Severus could almost believe that Harry's spirit was there with him.

"Will you tell us the rest of the story now, Grampy?" Grâdivus asked impatiently.

"Very well," Severus said, waiting for everyone to find a comfortable spot to sit.

"What story are we hearing, Papa?" Sasha, the older of his twins, asked curiously.

"I am telling the grandchildren of your father," Severus replied. When no other questions were forthcoming, Severus asked, "Where did we leave off?"

"You and Daddy had just bought this house," Serena supplied helpfully.

"Ah, of course," Severus muttered. "Well, we moved in the next week, after we'd finalized the deal with the real estate company. We started having problems when Harry decided that he wanted to work as a Healer professionally."

"Why did that cause problems?" Grâdivus asked.

Severus sighed, trying to think of the best way to phrase his answer. "Harry was a natural Healer," he said carefully. "Unlike trained Healers, people like Harry actually pass off some of their own magical strength to their patients. They're not just exercising their magic, but pushing it into someone else. With the benefit of a Spellweaver, like me, the Healer's magical core will eventually collapse. Even with the aid of a Spellweaver, use of the natural Healing gift shortens a person's life span by decades, hence the problems. I didn't want Harry to do it."

TWO 

Harry knocked gently on the doorframe of Severus' growing laboratory, causing the Potions Master to turn from the box he was unpacking. "Yes, Harry?" he asked, eyeing his nervous husband critically.

"Er," Harry said, shuffling on his feet slightly. "I'm going out for a little bit. Do you mind watching Serena while I'm gone?"

Severus frowned slightly, turning back to the box. "Where are you going that you can't take her with you?"

"I just need some alone time," Harry replied. "Please, Sev'rus? It won't be for long, I promise."

"Very well," Severus said with a deep sigh. "Just give me five minutes to finish unpacking this box."

"Thank you, love," Harry murmured, before quietly going back up the stairs.

Precisely five minutes later, Severus arrived in the sitting room to find Harry and Serena on the floor playing with letter blocks.

"Okay, Sweets," Harry said to his daughter. "Daddy is going out for a little while."

"Swee!" Serena exclaimed.

Harry smiled indulgently at her. "Papa is going to look after you while I'm gone."

"Pa!" Serena agreed, toddling unsteadily over to Severus and grabbing hold of his legs. Severus bent and picked her up, settling her on his hip.

"Don't stay gone too long," Severus said after Harry had kissed both Serena and him good-bye.

"I'll be home early," Harry assured him. "I'll be gone for two hours, at most."

Severus nodded silently, watching Harry leave. He looked down at Serena, unsure of what to do with her.

"Play!" Serena cried, wiggling to get out of Severus' arms. He placed her on the floor, where she promptly grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the letter blocks she'd been playing with earlier.

Severus gracefully lowered himself to the floor and arranged his robes around him. He used the blocks to spell Serena's name. "This is your name, Serena," he said to her.

"Swee!" Serena said.

Severus frowned at her. He'd have to talk to Harry about using her proper name so that she could learn it. "Serena," he said.

"Swee!" Serena insisted.

"I will not call you by that ridiculous pet name," Severus said sternly.

Serena giggled at him.

"Your name is Serena," Severus instructed.

Serena giggled harder, then said, "Swee!"

Severus realized, with dawning wonder that Serena was playing with him, the way she usually did with Harry. He shook his head and picked the girl up, staring at her. "Well," he said. "You seem to be bored with the blocks. What do you wish to do?"

Serena scrunched up her face, as though thinking hard, and then she clapped happily, reaching her hands out to the door. "Fame!" she cried.

Severus turned toward the door and saw the stuffed dragon that Harry had given her floating into the room. He stared at it as it floated over to Serena and she hugged it happily. "Fame say 'hi'," she informed him.

Severus blinked away his astonishment. "You do realize that there is an 'l' in that word, yes? His name is Flame." He absolutely could not wait to tell Harry about this. Conscious control of her magic, and she was not yet 2! Incredible!

"Fame fly!" Serena demanded, holding the toy out to him. Severus sighed and accepted it. He threw it into the air and used his magic to make it swoop and zoom about the room.

5


End file.
